Fibre classifying machine



April 5, 1960 Filed Dec. 7, 1954 A. BOER FIBRE CLASSIFYING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

April 1960 A. BOER 2,931,070

FIBRE CLASSIFYING MACHINE Filed Dec, 7, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W Ba e/$- April 5, 1960 BQER 2,931,070

FIBRE CLASSIFYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

BY y

nited States FIBRE CLASSIFYING MACHINE Application December 7, 1954, Serial No. 473,607

7 Claims. (Cl. 19-65) The present invention refers to fibre sorting or classifying machine and more particularly to a selective mechanism of continuous action which, in operating in conjunction with pulling elements and Conditioning means for receiving fibres in dimensional order, solves one of the most important problems created in the elaboration of Wool, hair, bristles, cotton and other substances destined for the textile and other industries in general.

The invention deals with fibres more or less directed in the same sense, in order to be submitted to a pulling traction which allows the seizing of bundles of diiferent dimensions, in such a manner that same remain in a decreasing gradient, although intermixed. By graduated selectors a classification is obtained in rigorous manner, whereby the filaments are selected according to their length, so that they may reach the corresponding destination in accordance with their proportionate lengths.

Worthy of mention is the manner in which the mechanism has been devised in order to enable same to perform this special operation. The fibres are conducted by a conveyor terminating in impelling bands or rollers which conveyor delivers the fibres to a pulling device having an alternately reciprocating clamp operating with its jaws seizing the extreme ends of the fibres and producing a traction movement able to carry and form a bundle of fibres so as to deposit same in another conveyor transverse thereto; and as this bundle is provided by a pulling sense towards the running line, the bundle contains short, medium and long filaments, all of them responding to the same gripping or drawing operation. The manner of obtaining the separation of fibres by class or dimensions is also interesting, for, being in bundles of. decreasing gradient, when the material is conducted by bands with cords which provide an adjustment to the fibres, they deliver their extreme ends to selectors set in a slanting or oblique line in accordance with the gradient length of said fibres, so that each selector accepts the filaments corresponding to its length, leaving the medium ones for the subsequent selector and the shorter ones for the last selector of the series.

In addition to the above, the objects of the invention include the provision of a classifying or sorting machine which may be considered as unique in its class, as there does not exist any other equipment with similar characteristics and construction for separating the fibres in their order of length.

Another object is that of replacing the textile recombers with a construction having greater advantages in every sense, as the machine directs the filaments and classifies them in such a manner that the fibres, apart from being combed are also homogenized.

Another object of the invention is that of obtaining results not attained up to date in spinning, since the uniform fibres can be joined by parallel juxtaposition.

Another object is that of facilitating in the brush industry the ideal classification of hairs and fibres for their bundles.

The other objects of the invention will be shown 7 atent 2,931,010 Patented Apr. 5, 1960 throughout the following specification which for a greater understanding has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a general plan view of the machine showing the manner in which it is constructed and arranged for the accomplishment of the objects above stated;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a conditioning section of the machine of Fig. 1, wherein the parts are in the positions occupied during operation;

Fig. 3 is the same conditioning section as Fig. 2 but showing the return movement of the parts preparatory to beginning another operational cycle;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal schematic illustration of the conveyors, showing the manner in which they are arranged and operated;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the conveyors and presser;

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a bundle of fibres obtained due to the action of the clamp as a stretcher; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

As may be seen in the drawings, a is the conveyor of fibre fleece where said filaments, already prepared and cleaned, are presented in more or less orderly or oriented manner in a longitudinal direction with respect to the machine. At the end of conveyor a there is a pair of endless bands 1 and 2, superposed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which feed the puller b.

Puller b comprises arcuate clamps b terminating in two jaws 3 of rubber or of other gripping material so that they may seize the fibres presented by the feeder through the pair of endless bands 1 and 2.

The clamps b are disposed as pincers fastened by a pintle 4 and are provided with angular arms 5 to provide the jaws 3 with a lever action responding to the operation of guide 6 and rod means 7. The guide 6 is rigid within guide rails 8 for alternating reciprocatory movement. Said guide is united to base 9 of the clamps b in a special manner, as said base 9 is provided with grooves 9' for the reception of linking pins 10, to allow a relative sliding movement between clamps b' and the guide 6. Thus, When guide 6 is directed in a traction run, as shown in Fig. 2, in view of the relative displacement, the jaws 3 are locked through the pulling of rod means 7 of arms 5, whilst, in the return run, the same relative displacement allows the jaws 3 to be opened, as graphically shown in Fig. 3. The vertical members pivoted to the rearward ends of elements 7, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are attached to the opposite ends of guide member 6 as will be understood from Fig. 1. Since pins 10 are also attached to member 6, they prevent collapse of clamps b while permitting relative sliding movement between the said member 6 and portion 9 of the clamps.

For this alternating movement, guide 6 by its rods 6' couples connecting rods 11 originating in the eccentric pins 12 of the fly wheels 13; fly wheels 13 are united with each other by axis 14 mounted in bearings 15; and by pulley 16 said axis 14 receives the transmission of a motor through belt 17.

The eccentricity of pins 12 may be altered in order to allow the desired run of the puller b and, for this purpose, pins 12 are mounted in small connectors 18 which are adjustable with respect to the radial rods 19 of the flywheels 13.

Upon movement of the connecting rods 11, the guide 6 proceeds in its alternating reciprocating movement, compelling clamps b to operate for opening and closing the jaws so that, when operating in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, the guide 6 gravitates on base 9 so that the jaws 3 of the clamps b may open whilst in the reverse operation of Fig. 2 the jaws are closed in order to seize and pull the fibres c.

The plane of the pintle d of the clamps b coincides precisely with the plane comprised between endless bands 1 and 2, so that fibres c advancing through action of said bands, appear. in said plane so as to be carried by the stretcher.

From the fibre blanket fed by the pair of bands 1 and 2, clamps b thus draw out a part, thereby obtain ing a bundle containing long fibers 20, medium fibres 21, shorter fibres 22, and cuts 23 (Fig. 6) which means that they may be classified in at least four groups, in accordance with their lengths.

Below puller b there is a conveyor d formed by the endless cords 24 disposed around rollers 2525, 26 26', 2727', 2828', and 29-29 having intermediate roller 30 so that cords 24 form a sort of bed forconducting the fibres c towards the selector.

As may be seen in Fig. 1, four cords 24 extend around rollers 25 and 26; four additional cords 24 extend around rollers 25 and 27; four further cords 24 extend around rollers 25 and 23 and the remaining cords extends around rollers 25 and 29, all in gradient formation.

Adjacent to rollers 26, 27, 28, and 29 and arranged in an inclined manner are the selectors e, f, g, and h, formed by pairs of bands 31 and 32. Each pair of bands with its rollers 33 and 34 forms a gripper able to seize and transport that part of the fibres which overlaps the margin of cords 24 of conveyor d.

In the zone of selectors e, f, g, and h, the conveyor d is combined with a similarly constructed pressing device i formed by the endless cords 35 disposed around the rollers 3636, 37-37, 38--38' and 3939'. I

The endless cords 35 of the pressing device i are disposed between the spaces of the endless cords 24 so that, with a certain penetration plane (Fig. between the groups of endless cords, the fibres c are ,forced through in undulating manner and are held in order to rotate through the selectors, the fibres being loosened thereby.

This means that fibres c, being carried transversely, present their free extremities so that, being within reach of the selectors, they are seized in accordance with their dimensions. When pulling the longest fibres, the shorter ones do not alter their position, as they continue to be pressed between the endless cords 24 and 35.

Operation Since conveyor a, the pair of bands 1 and 2, puller b and pressing device 1' are coupled to respective transmissions, when the-equipment is in operation all the parts of the same are in synchronized movement.

Conveyor a carries the fibres, more or less in parallel order, and with the driving of endless bands 1 and 2 the fibres c are delivered to the running course of puller b. As may be seen in Fig. 3, the fibres, carried by the pair of bands 1 and 2, are fed in a projecting manner so that clamps b, when ending their run indicated in the same Fig. 3, seize the fibres. With the mechanical operation already described, the jaws 3 of clamps b are closed. In the traction run, the jaws pull the fibres within their reach, and as these are of different lengths, they are disposed as shown in Fig. 6, that is to say, in a gradient formation.

When clamps b are again opened, the bundle of fibres pulled out is let fall and deposited on conveyor d which, with its endless cords 24, conveys it towards the selector.

When the fibres reach the first part of the selector, the ends of the longest fibres 2% are seized by the first selector e which, with the movement of its two bands 31 and 32, produces the traction efiect. As has been stated, with this effect, the selector e only seizes the longest fibres, as the medium fibres 21, shorter fibres 22 and shortest fibres 23, not being reached by bands 31 and 32, are maintained in a pressed state between the endless cords 24 and 35.

The fibres 21, 22, and 23, which continue their run with conveyor d and the pressing device 1' pass onto the second part of the selector where selector f seizes the corresponding fibres 21, which are longer than fibres 22 and 2.3. Said fibres 22 and 23 are retained by pressure of cords 24 and 35, which pass onto the third part of the selector, where the longest points of the remaining fibres, i.e., 22, are seized by selector g leaving the shorter fibres 23 to pass to the last part where they meet selector 1: passing through same as all the former ones.

This operation is continuous, as puller b with its alternating reciprocatory movement presents successive bundles of fibres on conveyor d; and as said bundles are conditioned by the scale disposition of their fibres, there is no difficutly that, when reaching the selector, the selector e seizes the longest 28, the selector 1'' seizes med-ium fibres 21, the selector g seizes the shorter ones 22 and selector h seizes the shortest fibres 23.

Each selector e, f, g, and h carries the fibres of its class, without altering its alignment, in perfect parallelism resulting in an ultimate classification in order of length so that the fibres are prepared for their industrial application in the textile or other industry.

Undoubtedly when carrying out the present invention, modifications as to certain details of construction may be introduced without this implying a depature from the scope of said invention which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Fibre sorting machine which comprises a fibre puller having an alternating reciprocatory stroke, a fibre holder and conveyor arranged in spaced relation to the fibre puller to feed fibres into the path of the stroke of the puller, means for continuously operating said fibre holder and conveyor, jaws at one end of said puller capable of drawing the fibres from the fibre holder and conveyor and forming fibre bundles of fibres of different lengths, means for imparting the alternating reciprocatory stroke to the puller along a transverse line over a second fibre holder and conveyor which terminates in stepped ends, means for opening the jaws of the puller to deposit the fibre bundles on the second fibre holder and conveyor, selectors angularly arranged relative to the stepped ends of the second conveyor and terminating in contiguity thereto, said selectors each being provided with means for seizing and removing that length of fibre within its reach.

2. Fibre sorting machine in accordance with claim 1, in which the second conveyor is formed of groups of endless spaced cords of which each group terminates adjacent a fibre selector, so that each selector reaches a different length of fibres, and a presser formed of endless cords disposed between the spaces of the cords of said conveyor and, with said second conveyor, constituting holding means for shorter lengths of fibres while longer lengths of fibres are being withdrawn.

3. Fibre sorting machine in accordance with claim 2,

in which the puller includes a clamp having arcuate clamping jaws terminating in gripping surfaces, the clamping jaws closing in one direction of movement of the puller and opening in the opposite direction of movement of the puller.

4. Fibre sorting machine in accordance with claim 3, in

whichthe first-named conveyor constitutes a feed means for projecting the fibres into the path of the stroke of the fibre puller and the puller clamp is connected to slide means, a pair of connecting rods coupled to said slide means, a flywheel to which each connecting rod is eccentrically connected and means for driving said flywheels.

5. Fibre sorting machine comprising means for feeding a fibre fleece containing oriented fibres of several different length ranges, means for seizing the fibres from the feeding means, holding the fibres and then releasing them onto conveying means, means for conveying the released fibres in a direction angular to the feeding means, and a plurality of selectors, one for each fibre length range, each of which is arranged to withdraw fibres of one of said length ranges progressively from longest to shortest from said conveyed fibres, the means for conveying the fibres including sets of spaced endless cords arranged in staggered relationship above and below the fibres.

6. Fibre sorting machine in accordance with claim 5, in which the conveying means is in sections of different lengths which terminate in stepped formation and the selectors are disposed in operative relationship along a line oblique to the stepped formation with one selector at each such step for withdrawing fibres of lengths determined by the Widths of the conveying means sections forming the said steps.

7. Fibre sorting machine in accordance with claim 5,

in which the means for seizing, holding and releasing the fibres includes reciprocating openable and closable clamps, and means for imparting reciprocating movement thereto while closing and opening said clamps on alternate strokes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,870 Thompson May 26, 1896 584,499 Gaffney et a1 June 15, 1897 870,280 Gallagher Nov. 5, 1907 1,405,626 Perkins Feb. 7, 1922 1,452,352 Balls Apr. 17, 1923 1,689,679 Mauz Oct. 30, 1928 

